BIG BROTHER NAIJA: Stunning realities give show mixed reactions

The veracity of the term Reality Show hit Nigeria space differently, making the ongoing Big Brother Naija TV show to come under criticism by a section of the society who perceive the emotional activities of participants as a soft porn. This is just as others see things different, arguing that not only have the producers followed due process, critics can simply abstain and also deprive their kids of the show classified as 18. Incidentally, the show has generated more reactions as this year’s edition appears to have more dose of what many perceive as ‘sex’ than the previous editions, writes JOE AGBRO JR.

IN January 2019, ten men and ten ladies marched into a house with all the basic necessities of life. However, devoid of radio and television influence, entertainment and communication and stripped of their phones, they are left to live and enjoy their own wits. In between talking, eating, drinking, it would take just a little time before sex would get into the mix.

Unlike the previous editions which started on a conservative note, this year’s edition, tagged ‘Double Wahala’ had the housemates sharing kisses nearly as soon as they entered. So hard were the kisses that on the seventh day, one of the now evicted housemates, Vandora, said it would take more than kissing to create a buzz and make a housemate ‘trend.’

It’d take more than kissing to trend here – housemates

SEVEN days into the 2019 edition of the Big Brother Naija tagged ‘Double Wahala’, the intrigues of ‘making out’ got attention with now evicted housemate, KBrule, spraining his ankle following a jump from the balcony after they partied for the first time on Saturday.

Earlier, midway into the party, KBrule had tried to get intimate with Anto who was bent on rebuffing him only to have her give Lolu, whom she was paired with, a kiss, while KBrule watched in astonishment.

Discussing, KBrule’s accident the next day, some housemates said it will take more than kissing to make housemates trend on social media as compared to the 2017 edition.

‘That’s not what is going to trend,’ Vandora, a female housemate said on Sunday morning while lounging in the garden, referring to her fellow housemates kissing for fun.

‘People are crazy.’

Also agreeing with her was Teddy A.

‘You understand because people dey fool each other for here,’ Teddy A added.

Emphasising her point, Vandora said, ‘What’s kissing compared to what people are doing.’

And with Flex Condoms as a sponsor of the show, condoms, intended for protection during sex, were provided for housemates. And for a while some of the housemates wondered how come the umber of the condoms available were decreasing. While Miracle was head of the house, he said that some housemates were having sex in the shower. He particularly fingered Bambam, Teddy A, Lolu and Anto for using the condoms in the bathroom because there were no cameras in there.

“You no dey see things for this house pass me,” said Miracle to some other housemates.

The mystery surrounding the disappearing started unveiling in recent weeks as viewers watched the progressively steamy affair between Miracle and Nina who seem to lead in the ‘lovemaking’ department. Though the actions took place covertly, their sliding and humping movements under the sheets which happened twice speak volume of the acts they might have been doing. Another housemate, Tobi, also reportedly caught the duo making out in the bathroom after last Saturday night party.

During the past week, cameras caught Tee A and BamBam in compromising movements in the toilet after a heavy dose of petting. Their shadowy movements left little to the imagination of what they were doing there. Also, Alex and Leo, who had earlier claimed to be able to remain celibate for long periods seemed to give in to yearnings of the flesh as they’ve also explored each other’s bodies under the sheets.

Also, Anto and Lolu too have been caught on camera shuffling under the sheets in an intimate position. Earlier on, Anto had declared she had slept with a lot of men. Reuniting with Kbrule, Anto had said kissing means nothing to. She also dismissed sex.

“I’m a grown ass woman,” she told Kbrule.

“I’ve f..ked a lot of niggas. No one should take this personal, everybody is having good time, it’s all a game.”

And while it was Tobi and Cee-C that seemed to start a sort of romance, theirs has been full of ups and downs. Earlier in the show, Tobi had begged Cee-C for a kiss which was refused. However, some days later Tobi and Cee-C kissed to the admiration of other housemates.

“I have gotten all I needed from Cee-C,” he told other housemates earlier in the week.

“See, that girl is poisonous. I’m not apologetic for anything.”

Hence, it must have come as a surprise to viewers when on Wednesday night, Tobi and Cee-C were seen in bed, cuddling.

Battling a sex culture

NO doubt, sex and talks about sex is more this year’s BB Naija house. This was unlike the 2017 edition that in retrospect was more conservative. On that edition, the notable couple that likely engaged in a sex act was Tall Thin Tony and Bisola. The edition also provided the only disqualification thus far in the history of Big Brother Naija where Kemen furtively groped T-Boss while she was asleep.

But it was Beverly Osu that was the first Nigerian to have sex on a Big Brother show in 2013. Taking part in the Big Brother Africa, she had made out with South Africa’s Angelo. The camera had caught them making love in the bathtub, weeks after they had been kissing. As expected, the acts have pitched Nigerians on opposite sides, agreeing and disagreeing, the morality of the reality television show.

Medical Psychologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, Lagos ascribed the dire economic situation in Nigeria, influence of media and the other cultures as responsible for the increase of sex in the Big Brother House.

“Everyone that made it there (BB Naija House) is looking at what N45m can do in my life,” he said.

It’s so much I’m willing to do anything. The people who kill, who sacrifice their parents, how much do they really get from the money rituals. So you can imagine, if it’s just to expose their body or have sex in the glare of everybody, to them it’s not a big deal.

“The second one is the importation of culture and the effects of the media. Over the years, pornography has increased. It’s now more available than ever because almost everybody can access the internet and access pornography. The more you watch something, the more effects it has on you. The more you watch this pornography, the more you feel there is no big deal about it. Others are doing it and then what’s the big deal?

“Then the influence of other cultures on our own culture. That’s another factor. This Brother Brother Naija that you’re watching did not originate from Nigeria. There have been Big Brothers in other places. So having watched these in other cultures, they say, oh, if you’re going to win, maybe you need to do this, you need to do that. I guess that’s one of the reason why you find that happening in spite of our own conservative culture.”

Still over 40 days to go in the house before a winner emerges, the Big Brother Naija 2019 edition has already garnered itself a notoriety for sex. In fact, given the conservative nature of Nigerians, perhaps it might come as little surprise that housemates prefer to have ‘sex’ under the sheets.

“Some under-the-duvet movement be looking like sex tape these days,” said BamBam on Thursday, conscious of the interpretations of ‘moving sheets.’